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Avoid telegraphy replacing rounded writing.
(Strunk woulda liked that one!).
posted by
majroj
on January 13, 2007 at 11:47 PM
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I love writing a sentence which at first seems perfect only to cut it down on the edit until it really is - to my eyes - perfect. The funny part comes when I delete it because it doesn't fit or is extraneous. But hey, it's good practice.
posted by
johnmacnab
on January 13, 2007 at 6:39 PM
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Hi Azur--
So did you finish the piece? Less is definitely more as it relates to a good piece, it's almost as though it cannot be TOO tight...up to a point I guess. Most bloggers don't tighten nearly enough, IMO.
posted by
Julia.
on January 13, 2007 at 11:54 AM
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Too true.
It is one thing to scribble something quickly but quite another to put an article together. I was told by an editor that people sometimes try to be too clever instead of concentrating on a properly flowing piece.
posted by
fionajean
on January 10, 2007 at 8:01 AM
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Pat, just shows how that advice has been taken up the world over.
posted by
_dave_says_ack_
on January 8, 2007 at 5:58 AM
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Words? PHRASES!
I was writing note to teach triage to CERT trainees. I had twenty minutes. When I was done, I had a better understanding about teaaching it, and doing it, and describing it quantitatively...and had about four hours of material. Yes, I was writing for myself.
In fact, I jusr deleted half my comment. New Year's resolution, that. Ask about the title "Tongue and Quill" sometime....
posted by
majroj
on January 7, 2007 at 9:53 PM
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My editing is a whole painful exercise,
since I get attached to useless phrases and unneccessary words and have a hard time parting with them.
posted by
word.smith
on January 7, 2007 at 1:51 PM
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I totally agree
about letting some phrases or sentences go as they can otherwise jaundice everything else. They can always be resurrected for another piece at some other time.
posted by
malcolm
on January 7, 2007 at 11:54 AM
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Oops. I'm echoing .Dave. Shoulda read the comments first. :(
posted by
Pat_B
on January 7, 2007 at 10:09 AM
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Murder your darlings...
This was the advice one teacher gave me. When a sentence or paragraph calls too much attention to itself, it interrupts the flow. So, much as you love it, this darling phrase or line of yours, you must take it out. :)
posted by
Pat_B
on January 7, 2007 at 10:08 AM
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Azur
this sounds like me, I struggled with every essay - not uncommon to write 6000+ and then hone it down to 2500 words. Tightly-constructed is good (I tell myself...). Painful, but worth it in the end.
I've also heard that, Dave - then again I have more than once felt that handing in a completed, tough assignment is like giving birth. Much easier when I write what I want to write.
posted by
mneme
on January 6, 2007 at 6:55 PM
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This is why it takes me so friggen long to construct stories myself.
I agree with you that your sentences must flow together to be effective, and that one wrong sentence can ruin an entire paragraph (or an entire story, for that matter).
posted by
Joe_Love
on January 6, 2007 at 6:30 AM
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Good advice.
posted by
_Symphony_
on January 6, 2007 at 5:43 AM
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posted by
Rosetree
on January 6, 2007 at 4:32 AM
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"Be ready to murder your babies" a writing tutor once said to me.
I've always remembered that advice, but it's hard in practice.
posted by
_dave_says_ack_
on January 6, 2007 at 1:55 AM
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Sometimes I write something I didn't know I was going to until I did.
Does that make any sense?
posted by
Whacky
on January 5, 2007 at 3:40 PM
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Hi Azur, I agree to a degree in terms of certain types of writing, but what
if like Stephen King says that sometimes there are stories that exist in a life of their own just waiting to be written....
This is how people like me kid themselves.
posted by
CringeintheUSA
on January 5, 2007 at 3:14 PM
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